Not all cheesecakes are sweet, these savoury versions are topped with your favourite roasted veg
Serves 6
Ingredients
200g mixed cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp butter
50g seeded oat crackers
100g dates, roughly chopped
50g walnuts
100ml thick cream
1 tbsp spelt flour
400g soft goat’s cheese
1 tbsp nigella seeds
To make
1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas 5.
2 Place the tomatoes in a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil and half the balsamic. Roast for 15 mins.
3 Melt the butter in a pan and, once melted, pour into a food processor along with the crackers, dates and walnuts. Blitz until finely chopped.
4 Divide the blended mix between six serving glasses, filling each glass an inch or two full and firmly pressing the contents down. Set aside.
5 Gently heat the cream in a small pan until it comes to the boil, add the spelt flour and stir until it’s fully blended. Mix in the goat’s cheese and a few twists of salt and pepper.
6 Pour the creamy goat’s cheese mixtures into each of the serving glasses, on top of the cracker, date and walnut base, then transfer to the fridge to cool and set.
7 To serve, remove the glasses from the fridge, top with the tomatoes and sprinkle with nigella seeds.
Cook’s note: If you know that you’re going to be pressed for time, you can make the cracker base and creamy goat’s cheese body of these savoury cheesecakes up to two days ahead and keep them in the fridge. Then you can roast and add the toppings on the night.
Pair it with…
2021 Lay & Wheeler Rioja Viña Avanzando by Bodegas Lanzaga because its sour cherry and ripe plum flavours, combined with vanilla and cloves, makes it a great choice for a cheese course.
The above cheese and wine pairing is from our October ‘Gathering’ pages, which this month is a cheese and wine evening, also including recipes for Baked Halloumi Sticks, Beetroot & Blue Cheese Tasting Dish, Grilled Courgette Ribbons with Burrata & Toasted Pine Nuts, Herbed Goat’s Cheese Crostini and Roast Spiced Nectarines with Cinnamon Mascarpone Cream. Each cheese dish has a suggested wine to match with it. Cheers! The recipes are by Kay Prestney and the photography is by Rebecca Lewis.
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